This invention relates to devices for taking printing impressions from tokens or printing members with raised characters thereon such as credit cards and the like, such devices being commonly referred to as imprinters. More particularly, this invention relates to an imprinter provided with means for determining credit card validity.
Imprinters have been in use for many years and often consist of a flat bed provided with means to receive and locate the token, and other means to properly position a form overlying the token or card. A print roller mounted on a carriage which travels along the bed is arranged to move over the printing location after the card and form are in place, and is accurately spaced from the bed so as to provide the correct amount of interference with the card and form, thereby generating the desired printing pressure. Electrically operated and manually operated imprinters are both used in commercial establishments.
Manually operated card imprinters are by far more widely used in credit card applications than electrically operated types because of their lower cost and increased portability. However, manually operated imprinters provide no means of verifying credit card authenticity. This function is generally provided by an electrically operated peripheral device (e.g., an electrically operated card reader linked to a computerized data base) which increases system costs and requires additional work area space. Alternatively, the imprinter must be located in close proximity to a telephone in order to allow the imprinter operator to call the credit card issuer and verify authenticity.